Ateneo de Cebu, UV begin championship showdown in SM-NBTC Cebu leg
The Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles will try to take a step closer to their seventh straight title in the Cebu leg of the SM-National Basketball Training Center tournament as they battle rivals University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers in Game 1 of the best-of-three finals series today at the Capitol Parish Gym.
In the finals for the seventh year in a row, Magis Eagles head coach Francis Auquico remarked that he has instructed his troops to keep their eyes on the prize even after routing the Baby Lancers, 64-44, in their lone elimination round encounter.
“I already told them to keep their focus especially in Game 1,” said the soft-spoken mentor who made mention of Baby Lancer forward Jancork Cabahug as a potential headache for him and the rest of the Magis Eagles in this series. “UV is always a dangerous opponent especially in the finals.”
But the Magis Eagles, four-time defending champions in the Cesafi, hold a distinct advantage over UV in manpower, with the presence of Jed Colonia, Errol Pastor, Alex Visser, Christian Manaytay and Andrew Velasco, who torched UV for 25 points last time out.
UV is expected to counter with Beirn Laurente, Ivan Maata and Joshua Yerro.
Game 2 will be played tomorrow at what is expected to be a packed Minglanilla Sports Complex, where 1,600 residents of the Sisters of Mary School – Boystown are expected to attend.
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